Posts tagged Review

It’s difficult to throw a stone in rural Ireland without hitting a sacred ruin — in fact, before you chuck that rock, look closely, as it might just be a piece of an old abbey or a pre-Christian stone circle. Those looking to visit such a site have no shortage of options; the country has dozens of […]

Tucked away on the leeward face of Cheyenne Mountain, overlooking Colorado Springs and the Eastern Colorado plains, is a family-friendly animal attraction that takes full advantage of its picturesque setting with wide-open viewpoints, a thrilling aerial adventure, and more than a little slimy giraffe tongue. A zoo with a view At Cheyenne Mountain Zoo, you’ll begin your […]

“What a great hike! Now, where’s the nearest brewery?” Thankfully, in Colorado, you’re never far from either a top-notch hiking trail or an adventurous craft brewery, and I’ve found since moving here that the two go very well together — provided the hike comes before the beer. And so it was for us after hiking the […]

“The old idea that a woman can only serve her nation through her home is gone.” —Countess Constance Markievicz, Irish social activist, revolutionary, and politician We are currently in the middle of a big decade for Ireland. From 2012–2022, the modern Republic of Ireland celebrates the 100-year anniversaries of the some of the most important moments […]

Tourists of all faiths — and levels of dedication thereto — form long lines to visit Dublin’s two most famous cathedrals, pulling out fistfuls of hard-earned scratch for the privilege. Unfortunately, many of them have no idea that there is another city centre church, nearly as old as St. Patrick’s and Christ Church, with no shortage […]

I first saw the crumbling, run-down hulk of Richmond Barracks in 2014 on a Let’s Walk and Talk tour led by renowned Dublin historian Pat Liddy. At the time, the barracks were little more than a historical footnote in a neighborhood that had seen better days. Pat, with his own personal brand of flair, put […]

Sporting a fresh new look — and a fresh new cafe, and a fresh new website — Kilmainham Gaol (pronounced “JAIL”) is back at capacity and better than ever. My old Dublin favorite took her time with a major restoration project spanning from late 2014 until a just-under-the-wire reopening for the 1916 Easter Rising […]

“It’s all about the process,” my new friend Padraig tells us. He lets a handful of roasted grains run through his fingers and passes the jar along for all of us to have a sniff. I do as instructed, and pick up the dark-caramel-bordering-on-chocolate characteristic of grains of this roast. It’s nice. Padraig continues, […]

The romantic mind’s-eye image of Dublin, for most, is indoors. The Book of Kells encased in a glass case, scored by monastic chanting; an interactive display at the Guinness Storehouse or Old Jameson Distillery; a wooden table in a darkened pub, covered with even-darker pints while a gathered crowd “plays the floor” along with […]

Ireland — the “Land of Saints and Scholars” on many a tourist brochure — has no shortage of religious attractions for churchy types and Sunday-morning snoozers alike. With 1600 years of Christian tradition, and who knows how many years of pre-Christian religious practice before that, it’s difficult to throw a rock from the top […]